Skip to main content

Christmas and Christianity in Vietnam



Christianity has failed to become the world's universal religion but Christmas is well on the way to becoming a universal commercial festival. In Vietnam, a Communist country with a Buddhist traditional culture, Christianity is a minor residue of the French colonial era, but the shops sell Christmas trees, the sales staff wear little red Father Christmas hats and the background music includes crooning versions of Christmas carols. Businesses work hard to promote the event as a shopping bonanza even though the population at large is trying to save its money for the much more popular Tet holiday to follow in the new year.

The vestiges of a Christian presence in Vietnam are manifested in two catholic cathedrals, one in Hanoi and the other in old Saigon, now officially known as Ho Chi Minh City. These were closed for many years but are now open to the public as tourist attractions. And it would appear that religious practice is reviving. An English teacher conducting an online conference was recently informed by one of his students that he was a Christian, a Catholic. When asked where he worshipped, the young man replied that he had a choice of three churches in his town in the south of the country.

According to official estimates, some 7 percent of Vietnam's population is Catholic and another 1 percent is Protestant. Christian communities are reported to be more numerous in central and southern regions, and up to a half of some communities is said to be from 54 ethnic minorities that make up about 14 percent of the total population. Whatever the number of churches, they are overwhelmingly outnumbered by the Buddhist pagodas that everywhere abound. And there is no doubt where official approval lies. A wealthy entrepreneur has over the past decade been authorised to construct what is claimed to be the world's largest pagoda in Ninh Binh Province, some 100 km south of the capital Hanoi.

For most Vietnamese, all they know about Christmas is Santa Claus and festive decorations in the shopping malls. Much of Vietnam enjoys a tropical climate but the natives claim that Hanoi has four seasons. However, the city does not seem to have been located far enough north for the ancestors to have been moved to celebrate the winter solstice. Had they been as concerned as Europeans about the return of the sun, a great December festival might have long preceded the arrival of the Portuguese in the early sixteenth century. It may be regretted that it is only commercial interests that have revived the feast of the winter solstice, but it is an astronomical event that all the world can share.

My novels set in Ghana: The Colonial Gentleman's Son and Return to the Garden City, as well as my children's book: Saint George: Rusty Knight and Monster Tamer, together with many pictures of Ghana and Vietnam are featured on the website http://www.ghanabooksjwp.com and the books are available on amazon at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Return-Garden-City-John-Powell/dp/184624949X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442856892&sr=8-1&keywords=Return+to+the+Garden+City and other booksellers.
 
 
 
 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Kecemburuan semacam ini

Jacey melemparkan cangkir kopi kaca, (Mug Kaca Berinsulasi Dinding Ganda Zwilling), melintasi dapur. Itu menghantam dinding yang baru dicat (Behr, Sweet Coconut Milk, M230), dan hancur menjadi triliunan kepingan. "Inilah yang telah kamu lakukan pada kami!" teriaknya, suaranya berderak karena cemburu, kuku jarinya yang terawat (Orly Cold As Ice - perawatan bernapas + warna) menusuk udara ke arah tumpukan puing-puing kaca. Blayne menundukkan kepalanya, dagu keduanya mengenai dadanya terlebih dahulu. "Maaf, sayang," gumamnya. "Maaf?! Maaf!" Dia mengambil sekotak Wheat Thins dan mengangkatnya di atas kepalanya. "Tolong jangan melempar yang lain!" Blayne memohon, berdiri dari posisi setengah duduk di bangku logam di dapur. Ini adalah bangku yang sangat tidak nyaman (Bangku Meja Grejsi dengan Bingkai Logam), tetapi Jacey menyukai cara logam itu memantulkan sinar matahari di sore hari, jadi itulah yang dia beli. Dia mencondongkan tubuh ke arahnya,...

Thirteenth step

My grandmother attends the church basement on Tuesday evenings. I saw him there among the metal folding chairs and antique coffee pots, his figure trembling under the fluorescent lights that buzzed like dying insects. She wears the same powder blue pullover she was buried in, the one with pearl buttons that catch the light like little moons. Others can't see it, of course. They just feel a sudden chill as they pass by where she is, or smell the ghostly smell of her Shalimar perfume mixing with the smell of burnt coffee that never leaves these rooms. But I see clearly. He's been following me to AA meetings for three months since I got my first white chip after five years of being back in the bottle. "Your grandmother was my godmother in 1985," old Pete told me after tonight's meeting, hands shaking as he poured a seven-pack of Sweet'n Low into his coffee. "Toughest godmother I ever had. She saved my life." "Mine, too," I said, not specif...

A-Z of Corporate Governance Law

Corporate governance law can be seen as the law that states the way a company is regulated and managed. Any student of law must have a clear idea about the corporate governance law. This article provides an insight into the law, along with its importance. Corporate governance law  describes how a company will be managed and governed. This topic is an important one for any student pursuing a degree in law. They may also receive academic papers to write on it. Hence, individuals should be clear about this law. The article aims at clarifying the idea behind the law and why it is important. What exactly is corporate governance law? A business is directed and controlled by the system of corporate governance. It is a process for governing a company, establishing the policies, customs, and laws for all employees, starting from the highest to the lowest levels. It states the distribution of responsibilities and rights among the various participants in a company like the di...